


Bedtime.

by SillySunshine



Series: The Bedtime Chronicles [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Jason Todd is Robin, Jason is a Dork, Roughhousing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:48:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23701852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SillySunshine/pseuds/SillySunshine
Summary: Bruce says it's bedtime but Jason doesn't agree. Fluff ensues.
Relationships: Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne
Series: The Bedtime Chronicles [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1721803
Comments: 80
Kudos: 557





	Bedtime.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is just ridiculous fluff to help me deal with the world right now. Hope it brightens your day a bit!

“Bedtime.” 

“Aw, come on! Not yet! I just got to the good part in my book!” Jason whined. 

“I’m sure it can still be read tomorrow.” Bruce tried reasoning in that ever annoying dry tone of his. It irritated Jason to no end, especially when it was being _unfair._

“That’s not the point, B.” The boy huffed. 

Bruce stared at his wayward son. The ten year old was sitting on his favorite reading chair, legs crossed, and nose buried in a book. He hadn’t even made eye contact with Bruce since he entered the room. 

“You have school tomorrow and it's already late.” Bruce replied as he walked closer to the boy. 

“I promise I’ll go to bed after this chapter.” 

“No, bedtime _now.”_ Bruce let more authority slide into his tone. 

“Five more minutes, I swear.” 

“ _Jason_.”

“ _Bruce_.”

At this point, Jason had finally looked up to argue properly with Bruce. Jason didn’t understand why he was being such a hardass about this. He already promised he’d go to bed soon. Did Bruce think he was lying? Jason was a man of his word. A big strong man who could stay up past his bedtime dammit. 

Bruce, from experience, knew that Jason was _not_ a man _nor_ one of his word when it came to reading. The boy wouldn’t sleep for days if he let him. He got too lost in words and the passions of other lives to even consider the life he currently had. 

“Bed, chum.” And Bruce reached out to take the book from Jason’s hands. 

Jason jumped away to stand on the couch, reaching eye level and establishing what he thought was dominance. “Three more minutes. Take it or leave it.” 

“Are you… haggling with me?” 

“It just raised to four minutes, B.” 

“What, no-” 

“And we’re back to five!” 

“That is not how this works, Jay!” Bruce finally burst out, intimidated at how fast this child was speaking. 

“Do you want me to make it six? Because I will.” 

“Ja-” 

“And now it’s seven. Don’t test me, Bruce.” And did Jason just get taller? Bruce looked down. The boy was standing on his tiptoes and pointing a finger in his face. 

“Alright that’s it you little brat.” Bruce uttered as he leaned forward and scooped the small body up. He was instantly met with squirming and protest. 

“Hey! Let me go!” 

“Bedtime.” 

“Put me down!” Jason screeched as he tried kicking Bruce in the face to no avail. He then tried to push away from Bruce’s chest but his arms weren't quite that strong yet. 

“You fat lump, let me go!” 

“Did you just call me fat?” Bruce asked, mock offense dripping from his tone as he started maneuvering through the halls toward Jason’s room. 

“I called you a _fat lump_. It’s worse. Let me go or I’ll scream.” 

“Nobody will hear you. We’re completely alone here.” 

Jason stopped struggling for a moment to simply look toward Bruce’s emotionless face and say, “Ya know, you’re a real creepy guy, B.” 

“So I’ve been told.” And now they were descending upon the stairs. With Jason having given up his struggling, he was free to enact his next torment; becoming a dead weight in his arms. Sagging this way and that. Bruce almost bumped his head against the wall twice because the slimeball paid no heed to their surroundings. 

“These are grounds for arrest.” 

“Are they?” Bruce asked. 

“Yes, most definitely.” Jason assured as he sprawled starfish style in Bruce’s arms. 

“So I will be getting arrested for putting my son to bed?” 

“Yup.” 

“Hm.” Bruce nodded to Jason like this made complete sense. 

“B, just let me walk the rest of the way. You’re embarrassing.” 

“That’s my job.” 

“To embarrass me?”

Bruce nodded. He took this job _very_ seriously. 

And now they were right outside Jason’s door. 

“Come on, Bruce. We’re here now, let me down.” Jason wheedled. 

Bruce acquiesced reluctantly, putting Jason down to walk the rest of the way to his bed. Like a bolt of lightning, the kid was out the door and down the hall in a second. 

“Jason!” Bruce shouted after, just barely missing catching the scruff of Jason’s collar. 

“Sorry, B! But I gotta know how it ends!” Jason shouted as he zoomed down the stairs. Jason had a plan. Run. Grab the book. Run some more. It was foolproof, if he did say so himself. 

“Jason Peter, you get back here right this instant!” Bruce bellowed as he speed walked toward the boy. He would not _chase_ after his child. He wouldn’t indulge Jason and give him the satisfaction. He would be _obeyed_ like the self respecting parent he was. 

“No!” A high pitched voice shouted back. 

Well, he tried. 

Bruce ran after Jason. To hell with self respect. 

“Come back here!” 

“Get lost, old man!” 

They both rounded a corner only moments apart, entering the library and zooming toward Jason’s favorite reading chair right in the center. 

There was a madman on his tail but his book in sight. Just a few more feet and then… well, he didn’t know. He honestly didn’t even think he’d get this far. 

He closed his fingers around the beautiful green cover and vaulted over the seat in the same movement. Bruce was on the other side and both stopped to size each other up. Bruce moved left, Jason moved right. Bruce moved right, Jason moved left. 

“Jason, _bedtime.”_

“You’ll have to kill me first.” 

“Over bedtime??” Bruce asked, incredulous at how dramatic his child was. 

“Give me liberty or give me death.” 

Bruce made a split second decision and ran right. Jason was instantly running left but Bruce had contingencies in place. He had closed the library door on his way in. 

Jason’s scrabbling at the door, trying to quickly get it open brought a smirk to his face. They’d have to work on this in Jason’s training, it could mean life or death someday but for now those extra few seconds worked to his advantage. 

Bruce descended upon the boy. Even though he didn’t have his black cape on, the effect was still the same. All Jason saw was a big blob before Bruce easily scooped him up in his arms, not even giving him a chance to fight it. He swung the boy upside down and dangled him from one foot, bringing him up to eye level. 

“You’re gonna drop me, buttbrain!” Ridiculous, Bruce thought. He’d never drop Jason. 

“You are in _so_ much trouble, young man.” 

“I was just trying to read!” Jason squawked. “What are you gonna do? Ground me from reading?” 

That sounded like a splendid idea to Bruce. 

“Yes.” 

“ _What!?”_ Jason screeched from his upside down position. He needed to do something and _quick_. Bruce was a tyrant that needed to be dealt with swiftly and without mercy. 

He squished Bruce’s cheeks together. _No mercy_. 

“Nuo-bwuks.” Bruce tried saying through squished cheeks, not bothered in the least by Jason’s antics. This was a regular occurence; Bruce just accepted the abuse at this point. 

Jason dramatically threw his hands to his sides as he said, “You can’t ground me, Bruce!” 

“I can do whatever I want. I’m your parent.” 

“I’m too old to be grounded!” Bruce swung Jason a bit side to side, causing the child to reluctantly laugh in delight. 

“If I can pick you up, you’re still young enough for me to ground you.” 

“That’s not fair! You’re so fat you can pick up anyone!” 

“I don’t know why my weight offends you so much.” 

“Your face offends me so much!” 

“Now you’re just being mean.” Bruce said as he swung Jason across his back in a fireman’s carry and running all the way back to his room, jostling the boy the entire way and making him laugh much too loudly for such a late hour. Thank goodness Alfred hadn’t heard them yet or he’d have both their heads. 

Bruce deposited his giggling son on his bed and started swaddling him up in blankets. Jason tried pushing his hands away but Bruce wouldn’t be deterred. 

“I can do it myself, B. I don’t need you tucking me in, I ain’t a little kid.” 

“Tucking you in? I’m tying you up so you don’t run again.” Bruce said as he piled yet another blanket on the boy and tucking it in at the sides. 

“Have I called you creepy yet?” 

“Multiple times, along with fat and ugly.” 

“Good.” Jason said as Bruce finally stopped after the fourth blanket, certain Jason wouldn’t be leaving bed anytime soon now. 

“You’re still grounded.” 

“I’ll sue.” 

“I’ll let my lawyers know.”

“They’re _my_ lawyers.”

“No books tomorrow. For an hour.” 

“Jefferson will be calling you in the morning about this.” 

“Jefferson is on _my_ payroll, Jay.” 

“Yeah, that’s what _you_ think.” 

“Go to sleep, brat.”

“No.” 

Bruce put his hands over Jason’s eyes. 

“Hey, what’s the big idea! Get your grubby hands off of me.” 

“Sleep, child.” 

Jason looked ready to continue their argument but when he opened his mouth, all that came out was a loud yawn. Bruce smirked. _Got him._

“Fine.” Jason finally said and Bruce took his hand off Jason’s eyes, satisfied to see that they stayed closed. 

“Good night, chum.” 

“Night, B.” Jason replied, yawning some more through his words. 

After one quick pat on the younger boy's head, Bruce made his way to the door. Before he left the room, he heard Jason’s voice call out,

“You’re not _that_ fat, B.”

“Thanks, Jay.” 

“And you're not _that_ ugly either. I’ve seen uglier.” Bruce smiled towards the lounging lump of blankets. _This kid._

“And I’ve decided not to sue, on the grounds of loving you and all that.” Jason rushed the last part of the sentence before saying in a steadier voice that was too serious for the topic. “You won’t be arrested, I promise.” 

Bruce couldn’t help it. He went back to the bed and leaned down to give a quick kiss to Jason’s forehead. His kid scrunched his nose up and pushed his face away. 

“Ew. Go away.” 

“I love you too, Jay.” 

“That’s disgusting.” 

Bruce let out a small chuckle and finally made his way out of the room. He left the door open a crack and for a moment he just listened. Listened to Jason’s quiet breathing and shuffling around, happy with the knowledge that his son would be going to sleep safe, warm, and loved. Always loved. 

But it, like so many things, wouldn't last. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comment and leave a kudos if you liked my trash :) Thinking of making a part two? Of Jason grown? Idk, tell me what you think.


End file.
